Today, Bookpleasures is
pleased to have as our guest Kristin Kuhns Alexandre writer,
journalist, newscaster, on-air reporter, executive film producer and
author of her recently published book Gem City Gypsy.

Kristin was raised in
Dayton, Ohio where she worked as a feature columnist for The Dayton
Journal Herald and the Kettering Oakwood Times. She has also authored
Nuncio and the Gypsy Girl in the Gilded
Age as well as The New Gentleman: the Secrets Rich Girls Use to Find
The Classiest Guys.

Good day Kristin and
thanks for participating in our interview

Norm:

What do you think over the
years has driven you as a writer and what is the most difficult thing
for you about being a writer?

Kristin:

I love telling stories.
The hardest part is making time to write.

Norm:

What helps you focus when
you write and do you find it easy reading back your own work?

Kristin:

Diet Coke makes me focus
and I hate reading what I have written back.

Norm:

How has your environment
and/or upbringing influenced your writing?

Kristin:

The characters in my book
all come from my life. Neci Stans is my main characters and she is me
when I was 19. I was life her and always wanting a better, richer
life.

Norm:

Where did you get your
information and ideas for Gem City Gypsy?

Kristin:

I used Dayton history and
especially history about the much loved gypsies who were horse
trainers in Dayton. They lost standing when the car came in in the
late 1900's. I use Google all day long.

Norm:

How did you develop the
plot and characters in Gem City Gypsy? Did you use any set formula?
As a follow up, what is your secret in keeping the intensity of the
plot throughout the narrative?

Kristin:

My characters tell the
story. Once I develop the names and personalities--they write the
story for me. I try to keep the action going by creating
conflict--just as we all have every day. There might be an event too
that causes trouble.

Norm:

What would you say is your
protagonist Neci's biggest strength? Her greatest weakness?

Kristin:

Neci is strong and
ambitious but she is careless and too emotional.

Norm:

What would you say is the
best reason to recommend someone to read Gem City Gypsy?

Kristin:

You will fall for the
characters and the history is fun too.

Norm:

You write with a very
vivid and descriptive style. Do you use any particular techniques to
help with your writing or to help flesh out descriptive imagery?

Kristin:

I look out the window and
remember times in my life that were colorful.

Norm:

I understand you intend to
film Gem City Gypsy. Whom would you like to play the part of Neci and
why?

Kristin:

We need a beautiful young
actress who wants a role that will take her to stardom---someone
edgy and energetic--like Neci.